Steam
by radiogirl
Summary: AU CC Who is Liz? She shows up mysteriously after a rainstorm with no memory of her past, but she stirs something deep inside of Max and the others, forcing them to question everything they know and attempt to piece together the shards of her memories.
1. The Things Max Remembers

**Title**: Steam --- **Author:** Radiogirl ---- **Rating:** T (Just to be safe)

**Credit:** I own none of the characters of Roswell and none of the original ideas from the show. This story, however, is mine.

**Summary:** Who is Liz? She shows up mysteriously after a rainstorm with no memory of her past, but she stirs something deep inside of Max and the others, forcing them to question everything they know and attempt to piece together the scattered shards of her memories.

**A/N**- This idea just sort of came to me tonight, so I apologize for the shortness of the introductory chapter and I'm hoping it makes sense. I hope you all like the idea though. I'm hoping that it can seriously become something great. So, read and enjoy, and please review- with support and guidance I know that this story can truly blossom into something wonderful.

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She appeared after the rain. The ground was still thick with moisture, clinging in droplets to the blades of grass and scattered across the pavement in a shiny sheet of reflection. The sun was setting deep on the horizon, tinting the dim light orange and spreading it across the desert. That is what Max remembered from the moment he first saw her.

The knock came quick and frantic on the window, making Max's eyes draw quickly to the window. The shades were drawn, he remembered, because the rain always made him sad. He could remember days from his childhood, sitting in front of the living room window with Isabel watching the rain fall in sheets outside their house, knowing that the rain meant another day ruined. He always hated the rain. His eyes fixed on the drawn shades as the knock repeated and he sighed.

"Michael, why do you have the inability to use the front door?" He muttered, setting his schoolbooks to the side and pushing himself off of the bed. "What on earth could be important enough to come over in the rain to knock on my window and tell me?" He asked, pulling the curtain aside, letting the faded sunlight push its way into the room.

Max stood for a moment, taken aback at the sight in front of him. Michael wasn't standing outside his window as he had been so many times in the past. Her body was a crumpled form on the grass outside of his window. Instantly Max sprang into action, unlocking the window and pulling it open. He climbed over the window sill and crouched down, surveying the form in front of him for a moment.

He could tell it was a girl. Her long dark hair was matted in clumps, forming a damp blanket over her face. Max reached down and tentatively pulled the hair to the side and he looked down at the girl. Her features were small and innocent and her eyes were closed. Her face was unfamiliar, but it stirred something deep inside of him, and as he looked at the girl who'd appeared outside his window on that rainy day, he knew she meant something. Max always hated the rain, but it brought her to him. These are the things Max remembered from the moment he first saw Liz.


	2. Uncertainty

A/N- Thank you so much for the reviews- feedback is amazing and helps SO much! I'm not 100 percent sure where I'm going with this story yet, but the plot is forming slowly in my head as I write more and more. To answer some questions posed in the reviews, nope, no one has met Liz before. Exactly who she is and what connection she has to the group will slowly be answered throughout the story. Also, to Magali- no, I've never posted this story anywhere else other than and no worries, it will be CC. As for now, I'll end this and get on with the stories. I hope you all enjoy it, and as always, reviews are appreciated.

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Chapter Two

The clouds still hung thick in the sky as the remaining three arrived at the Evans house. They sat as five units of a greater whole, forming a circle around the bed, each of their eyes fixed nervously on the unknown soul lying in the center of them. Questions raced through their minds but no one said anything, creating an uncomfortable and pensive silence. Max looked upon each one of them, each piece of their puzzle that formed to make his life.

Isabel's features were pinched and frightened as she jumped up from her seat and paced quickly in small circles toward the far end of the room. Max flicked his gaze quickly from Isabel to Michael who sat on the chair by Max's desk. His face was placid, fixed on the girl lying in the center of the room on Max's bed. Maria sat next to him, her slight fingers wrapped tightly around Michael's left hand, a worried look fixed upon her face. Alex sat on the bed beside the girl, looking down upon her without a word.

Her arrival had been so sudden and so mysterious that Max knew he must call the others. There was no promise that this girl held any malice toward their group, but if there was one thing they'd learned over the years it was that they could never be sure of anything. So he fought against the small voice inside his head and called the others, telling them to meet him at his house as quickly as possible. He shook his head as he hung up the phone and looked down at the girl, attempting to push away that tiny, mysterious voice whispering that he should keep her secret all to himself.

"So she didn't say anything, Max?" Isabel stopped pacing and focused her gaze on her brother. "She said nothing at all?" She repeated, her eyes shifting back and forth from Max to the girl.

Max leaned back in his chair and sighed, scrubbing his fingers over his face. "No, she was unconscious when I found her. There was a knock on my window... so she must have knocked, but when I found her she was just like this. I checked to make sure she was breathing, brought her inside, dried her off, and called you all. I don't know what to think. She just looked... she looked so small out there. So cold, wet and small."

Maria pushed herself from the floor and walked over to the bed, taking a seat next to Alex and looking down at the girl. She sighed, reaching down and brushing the hair away from her eyes.

Suddenly the body on the bed jerked and her eyes flew open as she sucked air into her lungs. Everyone jumped, looking toward the girl and quickly moving from their positions toward the bed. The girl's eyes flew nervously from person to person, her eyes blinking in fright at her surroundings.

"Wh- where am I?" Her voice came out choked and frightened. "Where am I?" She repeated, struggling to push herself up from the bed.

Maria gently placed her hand on the girl's arm. "You shouldn't get up so quickly. Just calm down, we're not going to hurt you."

"Who are you?" She asked, her lips quivering and a tear gently rolling from her eye.

The group looked at each other, each connecting eyes. Max looked down at the girl. "We're not going to hurt you," he said, repeating Maria's words. "We just want to know who you are. What is your name?"

"I- I-" The girl stumbled over her words. "I- I don't know." The tears fell harder as she cast her eyes downward. Her eyes flew up and connected with Max's. Suddenly a confused look fell over her features as she stared up at him. "You- you look so… you're..." her words trailed off as she stared up at him. She closed her eyes, shaking her head back and forth and rubbing her eyes. "Liz," She choked out. "My name is Liz."

**Later**

Max closed the door to his room as quietly as possible so as not to wake the sleeping girl on the other side of the door and walked out to the living room where the others were gathered. Every set of eyes met him as he walked in.

"So?" Isabel questioned as Max sat down on one of the sofas.

"She's asleep," he answered, leaning his elbows on his knees and resting his head in his hands. "I don't know what to think."

"Well what are we going to do, Maxwell? If there was ever a time to lead, it would be now. What are we supposed to do with this girl?"

Max sighed, the options turning over and over in his head. He was supposed to make the decision but he had no idea what he needed to decide. They had no idea who this girl was or where she came from, or even if she had any connection to them at all.

"Look, we don't even know if she's here because of us." He said, raising his eyes to meet the others.

"Right Max," Michael scoffed. "Like she just happened to end up outside of _your_ window unconscious. You're not stupid Max, you know that there is most likely a connection here. We're not like everyone else- things don't just happen as random. This girl shows up outside your window; there must be some significance. So who is she? She said her name was Liz and when we asked her for more she didn't know? It seems fishy to me."

"Not only that," Isabel's voice came out weak and Max turned to look at his sister. She sat on the floor in the corner, her knees pulled up to her chest. Alex sat beside her, his arm wrapped protectively around her sunken shoulders. "The way she looked at you, Max," She said, her face pale. "It's like she knew you."

Max sat in silence for a moment, his eyes drawn toward the ground. He knew that Isabel was right. When Liz had looked at him there'd been a spark of recognition in her eyes. Something about him had been familiar to her. "There's no way," he said, shaking his head and scanning the faces in the room. "I've never seen her before in my life."

Maria sighed. "None of this adds up. For now though, we need a plan. What are we going to do with her?"

All eyes drew toward Max and he stood up, walking toward the window and looking out at the grey, lifeless sky that blanketed the city of Roswell. "She'll stay at Michael's for now. It's the only place where no one will ask questions. The rest of us would have our parents to deal with and we don't have the time or resources to come up with a good cover story for now. We'll stay with her in shifts until she's regained enough strength to explain to us why she's here."

The room fell silent and he could tell that there was a certain amount of unease in each person in the group. Each person's eyes shifted from one to another, the unknown presence in the next room making their stomachs turn in nervousness. Everyone wanted the answers that only one person could give them right now, and it was the one person they weren't quite sure they could trust.


	3. A Piece to the Puzzle

A/N- Thank you SO much for the reviews and support! Honestly, every time I get a new review a piece of me starts to glow in happiness- you guys ROCK! You only makes me try harder to be creative and actually write. I worked and re-worked this chapter attempting to make it a little more interesting, but unfortunately it's still pretty boring, and I'm sorry. Also, I promise the chapters will start getting longer once I get further into the story and things get more complicated. But, I hope you enjoy this installment of the story, and please keep up with the reviews- you inspire me. :)

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Chapter Three

About an hour later Liz awoke from her deep slumber. She looked up at Max who sat by her side, the questions still racing through her mind. Max explained that she would be staying with Michael, and she nodded, unable to come up with any good question to try and help voice her doubt and clear the confusion blanketing her tired mind.

The two walked out into the living room where the rest of the group sat, and together Max, Michael, and Maria made their way to Michael's apartment.

The ride across town was mainly filled with an uncomfortable silence. At times Maria's words bubbled over the noise of the radio playing softly in the background, her voice attempting to sound carefree came out pinched and strained with uncertainty. Liz sat in the back seat, her eyes gazing sadly out the window, tracing the line of the raindrops as they skittered down the cold glass. Maria's words barely made their way into her brain as they drove down the empty street.

"We're here!" Maria said quickly, as Max pulled the Jeep into a parking space in front of Michael's apartment complex. The four got out of the car and made their way up the stairs and into the apartment.

"Uh, sorry, it's not that clean. I didn't really expect… well, you know," Michael said, nervously raking his hand through his hair.

"He's such a slob," Maria explained with a tight laugh. "Honestly Liz, I feel bad for you. I can hardly stand coming here for a period of a few hours, but you're going to actually have to attempt to live in this place."

"Maria, shut up." Michael said, but couldn't suppress a small smile as he stepped into the apartment, throwing his keys onto the counter. He turned to face Liz who stood looking small and scared, standing in the doorway watching the others. "I know it isn't much, but it's at least something, right? I'll clean it up a little bit. You can stay on the sofa," he motioned to the couch on the opposite wall. "It pulls out into a bed and I have some clean sheets."

Michael finished speaking and the room fell silent. The three stood looking at Liz who still didn't make a move to enter the apartment. Maria felt her heart swell in compassion and she took a step toward her. "Come on in, Liz. I swear you're safe here." She urged, holding out her hand toward the girl.

Liz looked down at Maria's hand in dismay, her heart still fluttering in confusion and trepidation. There was something so distant and familiar that her mind couldn't quite grasp, and it made her stop and question these people around her. She wanted so badly to trust the words of the girl standing in front of her, but something in her heart caused her to halt. Slowly her eyes wandered upward and connected with Max's and she stared at him for a moment, warmth rushing back through her veins. In his eyes she felt a protection and safety that she couldn't quite understand. Something in him stirred something deep inside of her, almost like a dream that you can't quite remember in the morning. She didn't know who he was, but she understood that she could trust him.

Slowly she lifted her hand and placed it in Maria's, allowing the other girl to guide her into the room. They took a seat on the couch and Maria looked at the two men still standing in the entryway.

"Well Max, I think we can handle it from here. You can go." She said, smiling up at him.

"Uh... I was- I mean, I thought I should stay and..." his voice trailed off as his gaze shifted back and forth from Maria to Liz.

"Believe me Max, we have this under control. If there's anything Liz needs right now it's some good old fashioned girl talk. Now, unless either of you has suddenly become a girl," she said, raising her eyebrows in a question. "Then neither of you can really contribute much to this conversation. So Max, Michael, make yourselves useful. Go to the store and buy anything that is going to make this whole thing easier for Liz. Buy her a toothbrush; buy her some food that is actually edible- anything to replace the old, gross expired things that Michael calls food in that refrigerator. While you boys go to the store, Liz and I will stay here."

Max stood staring at Maria as she finished speaking, not making a move toward the door. Michael let out a low chuckle and turned from Maria to Max. "Come on Maxwell, let's get out of her. The lady actually makes some sense." He placed his hand on Max's arm and slowly directed him to the door. "Have fun girls," he called as he closed the door behind him.

Maria let out an exasperated sigh after they had finally left. She turned toward Liz and smiled. "Boys. I swear, they're so useless sometime." She let out a laugh and felt a flood of relief as a small smile formed on Liz's face. "So tell me Liz, are you OK? Like seriously, are you feeling alright?"

Liz nodded slowly, looking Maria in the eye. "I'm fine," she said, her voice coming out small and quiet. "I'm just a little confused. It's hard for me to grasp everything because I just... I don't even know who I am."

"But you know your name is Liz, right?" Maria asked, attempting to clear up some confusion.

"Yeah, I know that my name is Liz." She said. She looked into Maria's eyes and saw the openness radiating from the girl, and Liz's stomach began to relax and the words began to flow quicker from her lips. "It's just so hard, because I don't know how I know that and I don't know _anything_ else. I don't recognize anything and I don't have any recollection of anything before I woke up and you all were around me. How did I even get here? I just wish I had answers for some of the questions."

Maria nodded, taking in the information and attempting to find the right words to voice her questions. "So you don't recognize any of us?" She asked, trying to not sound so blatant in her inquisition.

Liz shook her head, looking down at her hands. "No, I don't recognize anyone. I get this small sort of sense, though. I don't even know what it is. Just a small little inkling..."

"About Max." Maria finished and Liz's eyes shot upward.

"How did you know that?" She asked.

Maria felt her stomach drop and she stumbled over her words, attempting to come up with a good explanation. "I just- I don't know. It seemed like when you woke up that you recognized him."

"I did?" Liz asked, confused. Maria nodded and Liz sighed, shaking her head. "I don't know anything. My mind is just like this black canvas. I woke up without a memory, the only thing blanketing the dark background of the mind were the three letters of my name. Liz. Who even knows if that's correct."

"Well, at least it's a start, right?" Maria asked, smiling. "At least we have something to call you now. Liz... it's a pretty name."

Liz smiled at the girl, feeling the warmth radiating from her as they sat side by side on the couch. She scanned the room around her, feeling lost and alone in this new world. Everyone seemed willing to help her, but she wasn't quite sure why. She knew she could trust them but she couldn't understand where that knowledge came from. She looked down at her fingers as they sat laced together on her lap and only then did her eyes draw toward the scratches. Jagged grueling red lines glared back at her, standing out against her pale white skin on her lower arms. Her heart jumped and quickly she pulled down her worn sleeves, attempting to cover up the only piece to the puzzle of her past. The past that she couldn't yet understand why she was afraid to recall.


	4. Fears

A/N- The response to this story isn't _as_ great as I'd hoped it would be, but at the same time you guys have been completely amazing. I know it's been a bit since my last update, but I hope you all enjoy it. Please keep up the support, I hope this chapter intrigues you and keeps your interest.

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Chapter Four 

Liz's eyes slowly drifted open, the blurry figures around her beginning to clump together, forming shapes, their edges beginning to sharpen as she slowly awoke and pushed herself up on her elbows. She looked around the small room, her head spinning in confusion at the unfamiliarity of her surroundings. Slowly the past day came back to her and she fell back on the lumpy mattress of Michael's sofa couch. She stared up at the cracks in the ceiling, allowing her mind to wander over the events of the previous day.

She heard a stirring in the next room and a minute later Michael wandered out of his room, scrubbing his face with his hands, his hair tossed about haphazardly. Liz smiled slightly at the sight of his disheveled appearance as he headed for the kitchen. He glanced back at the bed and stopped abruptly when he saw her staring back at him.

"Oh, hey," he said, smiling lazily. "I didn't expect you to be awake. You want some breakfast?"

Liz smiled and nodded, pushing herself up from the bed. "Yeah, breakfast sounds great."

She followed Michael into the small kitchen and watched as he opened the refrigerator, leaning down to peer in at its contents. "So what do you like?" He asked, his head still stuck inside of the refrigerator.

"Uh..." Liz's words trailed off and Michael turned his head, looking over his shoulder at her. "I guess... I don't really know what I like," she said, laughing. "God, I sound like a five-year-old. I don't even know what I want for breakfast."

Michael gave her a sympathetic smile and pulled a carton of milk out of the refrigerator with some eggs. "Well, I make a mean scrambled egg that hardly anyone can resist," he said with a chuckle. "Sounds like a good place to start."

Liz smiled as he turned toward the stove, pulling out a pan and cracking the eggs into it.

"So how did you sleep?" He asked, his back turned towards her as he mixed the contents together in the pan.

"Oh, it was just fine. I appreciate you letting me stay here, Michael. It's really generous of you." Liz said. "I don't really know what would have happened if I hadn't ended up outside of Max's room. You guys have been so nice to me; I'm sure no one else would have cared so much."

"Don't worry about it Liz," he said, turning toward her with a smile fixed on his face. For a moment Liz saw a hint of something in buried deep within his eyes as he looked at her. She only caught a glimpse of it before he quickly turned around and worked on the eggs again, but for a moment his eyes had revealed the thing that none of them would say. For a brief second, Liz saw fear in Michael Guerin's eyes. Liz had been perplexed by the group's willingness to help her out and give her a place to stay, and at that moment Liz knew that Max, Michael, and the entire group were scared- scared of something bigger and more frightening than Liz could ever imagine.

**Later that day**

After breakfast Michael cleaned the kitchen as Liz went to take a shower. She stripped off her worn, filthy clothes and got into the shower, closing her eyes and letting the hot water run down her tired body. She sighed, letting the water wash away the thick layer of dirt that covered her body from roads she could not remember traveling but had left their mark on her. Slowly she opened her eyes and looked down, examining her legs. Hundreds of scratches ran up and down her legs, falling haphazardly around her knees, calves, and thighs in no particular sequence or pattern. She glanced at the thin red lines around her wrist, and then back at the scratches on her legs. Instinctively she knew that their cause was not the same. The marks on her wrists were cuts- their pattern was clear, more deliberate. Liz couldn't remember a thing, but she knew that however the cuts had gotten there they had been intentional.

After washing the dirt off of her body and out of her hair, Liz stepped out of the shower, wrapping herself in the towel that sat next to the shower. She quickly dressed in the clothes that Maria had left for her the night before and pulled her wet hair up into a pony tail. She examined her face in the mirror, turning her head to look at her thin profile. Her face looked tired. Foreign. She sighed in irritation, turning away from the mirror and heading out into the living room where Michael was watching the television.

He looked up at her and chuckled as she entered the room. "You look like Maria," he commented, his eyes lighting up in a smile. "Feel better?" He asked.

She smiled gratefully. "Immensely." She flopped down on the sofa next to him with a sigh. "So, what are you watching?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "You know, just channel surfing." He clicked off the TV and turned toward her. "Max called while you were in the shower. He wants us all to meet for lunch at the Crashdown." He paused, "that's a restaurant downtown. Anyway, he thought it would be nice if you could get to know everyone. So he said we should meet there at about 12:30."

Liz nodded slowly. "Sounds like a plan," she said, turning toward him with a smile on her face.

**12:30- Crashdown Café**

Max sat with the others at a table in the back corner of the Crashdown. He looked from face to face, noticing the worry lines still creased in Isabel's forehead and the anxiety of the others around him. He knew that Liz's arrival had been upsetting for each of them, especially so soon after everything in their lives had turned upside down.

The bell on the door clanged and every set of eyes quickly turned toward the entrance. Max looked back and saw Michael leading Liz into the restaurant. He felt his stomach stir lightly and he shook his head, unable to understand why this unknown girl could cause him to feel such a longing deep within him.

The pair slid into the two empty seats across from Max, saying their hello's to the group and settling in.

"Well Liz, I believe some formal introductions are necessary right now," Maria announced, taking a sip from the glass of water in front of her. "Over in the corner we have the witty yet slightly annoying Mr. Alex Whitman."

The group laughed and Alex placed his hand over his heart in mock horror. "Maria! I'm quite offended by that statement," he said and then laughed, reaching out his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Liz," he said, shaking her hand.

"Next to Alex we have the beautiful and alluring Isabel Evans. And yes, she always looks that gorgeous... it's sickening." Isabel smiled, reaching across the table to punch Maria lightly in the arm.

"It's nice meeting you, Liz," She said, turning her attention back to Liz who sat watching in amusement.

"And of course, you've already met Max, who we like to call Mr. Serious. And then there's always my lovable yet vain boyfriend, Michael Guerin." Maria finished off, pointing to each boy. Max smiled faintly as Maria introduced him and Liz held his eyes for a moment before turning toward Maria.

"Thank you, Maria. Those were lovely introductions," Liz said, smiling at her. Maria took a small bow and Liz laughed, feeling her stomach ease. She could feel the trepidations of the others as they sat around her. They wanted to seem so willing to let her in and trust her, but she could sense their fears holding them back. She still did not understand how she could comprehend so much about a group of people she'd never met before.

"Hey guys, what'll it be?" The voice interrupted Liz's thoughts and she quickly turned toward the girl standing beside their table.

There was a pause of silence before Max finally spoke up. "Uh... just a round of Cokes, please Tracey," he said flashing the girl a smile.

"Sure Max," she answered, smiling back. Her eyes quickly scanned the faces at the table and she stopped when she met Liz's shy gaze. "Well, I don't believe we've met. Who do we have here?" She asked, nudging her notepad toward Liz.

Liz could feel the group shift in nervousness, pausing. No one knew the answer to give. Finally Max spoke up, breaking the silence. "Uh... this is Liz," he said. "Liz is..." he paused, his brain falling over the possible explanations he could give. "Liz is Tess's cousin." He said finally, his stomach instantly falling. He could feel the gazes of the other four quickly landing on him. He shifted his eyes toward the group and saw Maria's mouth hanging open in shock and Michael's head slowly falling downward. Isabel tensed beside him and he heard Alex's arm quickly slide around her shoulder.

"Oh, Tess," Tracey's voice trailed off, an uncomfortable expression forming on her face. "Well, I'll be back with your drinks." She quickly ducked away, but the rest of the eyes remained on Max.

No one said a word, but Liz could feel the tension among the group. Tess. The name slid through her brain as she repeated it over and over. Tess, Tess, Tess...

Suddenly a thought slithered quickly through Liz's brain, a glimmer of recognition. Tess. Quickly Liz reached out for it, but it slid away as quickly as it had come, leaving her silent and perplexed. She stared down at her hands clutched tightly in her lap, refusing to watch the others cast accusatory glances toward each other, refusing to ask herself what it was that they tried so hard to hide, and refusing to think that she might be responsible for the dark look of sadness that stayed fixed on Max Evans' face.

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_A/N#2- When I started this story, I never expected to write Tess into it but as the ideas formed in my head, it became more and more clear to me that she would be a part. Whether she's a positive or a negative in this story, you'll just have to wait and see. _


	5. Dreams and Recognition

A/N- Thank you so much for the support- you guys are amazing. :) I have a definite idea of where this story is going from here, so it's all just a matter of finding the right words to write it. I hope you enjoy the chapter and that it keeps your intrigue. Personally, I think it's getting pretty interesting, but I guess I'm a little biased, hehe. Anyway, read and enjoy, and as always, reviews are appreciated.

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Chapter Five

Liz sat on the fold-out bed, the dim light from the lamp by the sofa illuminating the room in an eerie glow, casting long shadows throughout the room. She sighed, feeling the air flow from her lungs and the liveliness flow from her body. She'd expended so much energy that day toward trying to search her brain for any trace of a memory. She knew it was all in there somewhere. She would get flashes of recognition, just as she had that day at the Crashdown. But as soon as the memory would fall into her mind, it would quickly slip away from her. It was like déjà vu, or a dream she couldn't quite remember in the morning. She'd been up for hours, sitting on the bed in Michael's living room and trying to grasp any shred of memory from her tired mind. Tess. She knew the name meant something to her, but she couldn't recollect what it was or who Tess was.

Max had said that she was Tess's cousin, and the entire group had silently reacted. She could feel the discomfort that weaved itself in and out of every person sitting at the table that day. No one said anything, but she could tell that the name that had flown from Max's mouth as he desperately searched for an excuse hit a sour note with every one of the small group. Even the waitress had gotten a look of understanding when Max had spoken her name.

Liz sighed again, frustrated at her mind for remaining so blank when all she wished for was any sort of an answer. She slowly reached over, turning off the light. She slid between the sheets, feeling her body relax into the sunken mattress as the shadows overcame her. She let out a sigh, feeling her body finally fall into a deep, dark sleep.

**That Night**

_She ran quickly through the dense forest, her heart pounding loudly in her ears and her breaths coming heavy and fast. The trees flew by her as she ran, the wind sweeping through her hair as she flew over the ground. She could feel the presence beside her and the fear that hung thick in the air as she ran, her legs screaming in protest with every step. _

_She heard the cry and her feet faltered slightly, but the voice cried out in agony and she continued._

"_GO!" The scream echoed through the forest, and she ran. The branches reached out, clinging to her clothes, tearing holes in the thin fabric that hung on her body. _

_Suddenly a log appeared in front of her and before she could swerve it caught her ankle and she screamed as her body fell to the forest floor. The sharp branches tore at her legs as she fell. _

_The tears spilled down her cheeks as she cried violently, her body crying simultaneously in pain. The voice behind her screamed and she looked toward the sky, the grey clouds breaking suddenly, the thunder rolling through the sky. The raindrops fell, mixing with her tears and washing the dirt from her face. She took a deep breath, pushing herself up from the ground, looking up at the cloudy sky and beginning to run again as quickly as she could, the menacing footsteps behind her growing closer with every step. She ran, trying desperately to outrun the ghost that was constantly trying to catch her._

"Liz! Liz?" The voice called out and Liz felt the hand on her shoulder, shaking her gently. She gasped, sitting up frantically in bed, her eyes adjusting to the bright room around her. She looked toward Michael standing next to her bed looking down at her with a worried look on his face. Her heart raced violently, but as she looked up at him the realization of where she was began to dawn on her and her heart and mind began to calm.

"Liz? Are you OK?" The voice came from the other side of the room and Liz turned her head, seeing Max's concerned expression.

Liz sighed, smiling. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Max took a step toward her, sitting down at the foot of the bed and looking at her. "Liz, you were screaming." He reached over, running his hands over her cheeks, and only then did she realize that her lips were salty with fresh tears.

She quickly reached up, wiping away the moisture. "Bad dream, I guess." She said quickly, pushing the smile back on her face. "Don't worry about it."

Max and Michael both fixed their gazes on her. "Well do you remember it?" Michael asked. "Anything could be a key to where you came from."

Liz felt her heart speed up as she looked at the two men's expectant gazes. She quickly shook her head. "No, I don't remember it," she lied. "Everything is still such a blur."

Max sighed, pushing himself up from the bed. "Well, maybe some food will help you. The group is planning on meeting for breakfast at the Crashdown. I came over to see if you and Michael wanted to come."

"Yeah," Liz said, nodding hurriedly, pushing herself up from the bed. "Just let me go put on some clothes and then we'll go."

She walked quickly into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She turned toward the sink. She let out a breath, the air rushing from her lungs as her body fell against the sink. She held herself up with her hands and raised her head to look at herself in the mirror. Her dark, guarded eyes met her steady gaze, revealing nothing to her as she desperately searched them for something... anything. She stared at the face and knew that a stranger stared back at her. She couldn't understand why she had lied to Max and Michael about the dream. Something about the fear that emanated from that dream let her know that she couldn't reveal to anyone what that dream held. She couldn't reveal anything until she knew who she was and who it was that she was still running from.

She pushed herself away from the sink and quickly pulled on some clothes, exiting the bathroom and meeting Michael and Max in the living room.

"Uh, Maria told me to give you these." Max said, holding out a pair of flip flops toward her. "She said that the shoes she left for you wouldn't match your outfit or something like that."

Liz smiled, letting out a small laugh. "Well, thanks." She said, dropping them on the floor and quickly sliding her feet into the sandals. "They don't exactly fit, but I guess they'll do for now. Let's get going," she said, smiling at the two as they headed for the door.

Michael locked the door behind them and they headed for the stairs, their feet falling in a quick rhythm as they descended. As Liz led the way, she felt her feet catch under her and she quickly reached out. Her fingers frantically groped for the railing but she felt nothing but air as she began to fall, her body heavily striking the steps as she fell.

She cried out in pain as she hit the floor below her and she heard Max and Michael bounding down the stairs after her.

"Oh my God, Liz!" Max screamed, kneeling down beside her. Michael kneeled behind her, supporting her weight as she leaned into him. "Liz, are you OK?"

"My ankle," she gasped. "My ankle; it hurts so much."

Max gently pulled her leg out from under her, trying desperately not to hurt her. He rolled up the leg of her jeans and his eyes inspected her ankle. Suddenly his gaze traveled upward and his fingers ran over the scratches on her leg. He looked up, catching her eye, and she could tell that he understood that she'd been keeping them from the group. He understood that her eyes held as many secrets as were buried deep inside his. He hastily pulled the pant leg down a bit and looked back down at the ankle.

"It doesn't look good, Liz. I think it might be broken. We're going to have to take you to the hospital." He said. He looked toward Michael. "Think we can support her weight and get her to the car?'

Michael nodded and Liz sighed, the pain radiating from her ankle. She moaned, the tears still falling from her eyes. "It was the flip flops. They just didn't fit right. I knew I shouldn't have..." slowly her voice trailed off and her eyes wandered up towards Max. She felt a twinge of understanding run through her body like a chill, beginning at the place where his fingers lay on her ankle and quickly running through her veins. Suddenly her mind cleared. "Heal," she whispered, her eyes still fixed on him.

"What?" He asked, swallowing frantically as his gaze darted from her to Michael nervously.

Liz quickly lifted her hand toward Max's face and gently ran her fingers over his cheek. She smiled, nodding at him in understanding. "Heal. You can heal it, Max."


	6. Staring Into the Darkness

A/N- Sorry for the wait on this chapter- it's been too long and I know that. School is getting crazy, but I apologize for the wait. I hope this chapter isn't too terrible. I know it seems like I'll never answer your questions, but I promise I will. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this and thank you to my reviewers and readers- I seriously love you guys. :)

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Chapter Six

The air stood still, Max's gaze darting nervously from Liz to Michael and then back again. Max watched as Michael's face fell, his eyes casting downward in an anxious sadness.

Max let out a small breath. "What?" He asked Liz again, looking deep into her understanding eyes.

"Max, you can heal it. I know you can. Use your powers." Liz pleaded, pointing down toward her ankle frantically, the tears still glistening in her eyes. "Please heal it, Max. It hurts."

Michael reached his hand up, gently placing it on the back of Liz's head. Before she could turn to ask him what he was doing her eyes rolled back in her head and she slumped backwards against his chest.

"Michael! What the hell are you doing?" Max asked as Michael casually moved Liz away from him and stood up.

"Look Maxwell, she figured us out, OK? I don't know how she did it or who she is, but I sure as hell know I don't want her awake with that knowledge until we DO know what is going on."

"I can't believe you just did that. I can't believe you just used your powers against Liz." Max stood up so he was eye level with Michael.

"Why are you so defensive? We don't know who she is, Max. So whether you believe it or not, it's what I did. Now she'll be out for a couple hours, so would you like to help me take her back upstairs or would you just like to leave her here?"

Max sighed, looking down at the girl's sunken form lying alone on the floor. The sight made him sad, and all of a sudden he understood that she was alone in this world. His mind flashed back to the moment he first saw her, innocent and alone, soaking wet in a heap outside of his window. While he had Michael, Isabel, Maria, and Alex, he realized that Liz had no one. He felt something stir inside of him as he looked at her, and an understanding overtook him. Liz meant something to him, whether he knew it or not. Liz was a piece to the puzzle.

"Let's take her upstairs," he said, his voice coming out low as he bent down and scooped her up as gently as he possibly could. He looked toward Michael, his eyes remaining cold. "Don't be scared of her, Michael. She's not here to hurt us."

Michael sighed, turning to walk up the stairs. He turned his head quickly as they walked. "You don't know that, Max. We've thought that a lot of people weren't out to hurt us, but you know what? In the end, they always were."

**Later That Day**

Max leaned his elbows against his knees, closing his eyes and lightly placing his face in his hands. The shadows stretched across the room, the evening light beginning to bend into the window as the sun set on the horizon. A beam of light lay gently over her body as she slept on Michael's bed. In the dying light, she looked almost radiant. Max couldn't squelch the urge he had to reach over and place his hand on her swollen ankle, piecing the bones back together with his mind. He wanted so badly to heal her ankle, but he knew he couldn't. Not until they knew who she was.

He could hear his friends' low voices in the next room, murmuring softly about everything that could come back to hurt them in the end. Their fears toward the information that Liz might hold in her memory were evident as they all gathered at Michael's apartment. They'd come together again to discuss their options while Liz slept soundly in the next room. Max slowly convinced them to let him talk to Liz before they took any new course of action. They all wanted answers, but somehow Max knew that he was the one that had to find them.

He heard Liz softly groan as her body shifted slightly. Max quickly slid the chair closer to the bed and watched as her eyes opened, instantly landing on him. She let out another low noise, looking down toward her ankle.

"You fell on it," Max explained. "Do you remember?"

Liz paused, her eyes falling shut as she reached toward her ankle. "No, I don't-" her words trailed off as her eyes drifted open. "I don't remember." Her eyes held his in a steady gaze. "But I know that you are the healer. God Max, how do I know that?"

Max quickly lifted himself from the chair and rested himself beside her on the bed. "Tell me what you know, Liz. Tell me what you remember."

Liz sighed, her eyes falling downward as a tear fell slowly from her eye. She could hear the fear evident in his voice. Max Evans was scared. "I don't know, Max. I'm so confused because I don't know anything. The things that I do know, I don't know how they got there. I get these flashes of memory. It's like when you try to remember a dream that you had the night before- you can recall small bits of it, but the full understanding of the dream is lost." Liz felt the tear slide slowly down her warm cheek. "I don't know what to think anymore."

Max looked at the small girl beside him, her eyes closed in silent sadness. He felt something moving deep within him; the same feeling he'd felt when he came upon her that morning in the rain. He could feel the pain radiating from her as he spoke and as he looked at her, he understood that she was broken. Liz needed to be put back together.

Slowly he reached up his hand, running his thumb across her cheek and wiping away the moisture. Her eyes opened slowly and she looked at him, the silence between them suffocating the words that longed to fall from his lips.

"It's like steam, Max." She said quietly. "I know it's there, but when I reach out to grasp it, I come back with nothing. I know my name is Liz; I know you're the healer; I know Tess means something to me." She paused, catching his hand and holding it tightly between her fingers. "These are the things I know."

Max stared at her as she held his hand near her face. He didn't know who she was, but she knew something about him that few people on this earth knew. His eyes flicked toward her swollen ankle lying limp on the bed, and he felt his fingers itching to reach down and ease the pain in her. He knew that if he could connect to her he would get a rush of images from her. It would be that easy. The only fear came from the realization that she too might get images from him.

"Do it, Max." Liz said, watching as he stared at her ankle. "Do it and get your answers."

Max's hand moved toward her ankle before he could even think about it. His fingers slid softly over her skin, sending shivers through her leg and up through her body. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and concentrating on making the connection. Slowly he felt their bodies merging together into one. He could hear her slow heart beat join his, slowly beating together in unison. They were one.

He opened up his mind, waiting patiently for the images to come. Waiting for Liz to open up to him. He waited for a few moments, but nothing came. All he saw was darkness. They were connected as one but he wasn't getting the rush of images that he got every time he connected to someone else. Defeated, Max quickly focused his energy on piecing Liz's ankle back together. He broke the connection and slid his hand away from her ankle, looking down and seeing it had healed back to normal.

He looked up and saw Liz's eyes gazing expectantly at him. "Who am I, Max?" She asked quietly.

Max let out a slow breath, his heart falling as he looked at her hopeful eyes. "I don't know, Liz. I don't know."


	7. Moonlight

A/N- I don't even have an excuse for how long it's been since I've updated this story. So I won't try to give one. I'll simply say that I hope my readers are still out there and willing to read. Enjoy, and let me know how I did with this chapter... I'm not quite sure if I like it.

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Chapter Seven

The door opened and the group huddled in the small room all rose at once. Max emerged from the room with Liz trailing behind him, his hand holding onto hers in a protective manner. He knew his friends would be upset at his actions, and even he couldn't quite understand his reasoning. He'd let her see him heal; he'd used his powers in front of another human being. He'd broken their cardinal rule, and although it hurt him, he knew that they had a right to be angry with them.

The gazes of the others in the room shifted back and forth uncomfortably, words of protest bubbling at the lips of the four others. Max raised his hand, knowing their protests would fade with his command. Although he hated exerting his power, he knew no other way to make them trust him.

"Liz is tired, you guys. She's had a long day." He looked back at the small girl still standing in the doorway. "I think you should all go home."

"What the hell is going on, Maxwell?" Michael asked, his voice coming out harsher than he'd meant it to. Max watched as Maria gently placed her hand on his arm, attempting to calm his anger.

Max paused, searching for the right words. Finally he shrugged. "We don't really know," he answered honestly. "Liz knows that I heal, but she has no recollection of the past. She has no idea how she got here and how she has the information about me that she does have," he answered honestly.

"Well that's convenient," Isabel muttered, her voice shaking. Max could see the fear in her eyes and the paleness of her skin.

The room fell silent as Max shifted his gaze from person to person, giving them warning with his eyes. No one was ready to accept Liz and her questionable history. Liz looked from person to person and for the first time she saw the fear, the rigidity of their bodies, the paralyzing dread that held them in place. She still did not know the story of who they were, but there was a secret among them. A secret that held them in constant trepidation. A secret that made it impossible for them to trust her.

Liz stepped forward, her hand falling from Max's protective hold. "I know you don't want to trust me," she said, her voice coming out quiet but building in strength as she talked. "I know... I know that it doesn't make sense. I know that my story seems convenient and I seem like I'm hiding something from you. I understand that you're afraid I might be here to hurt you. But I promise you, I swear, I am not here to hurt you. I don't know where I came from or how I know the things that I know, but they're there. They are the one clear thing on the blank canvas of my mind right now, and I'm sorry but I can't do anything about that. Please, don't be afraid of me. I swear... I will never hurt you. I am not here to do you harm."

**Late that Night**

Liz lay curled in a tight ball on the sofa bed, her arms wrapped protectively around her legs as she stared into the dark room. Her body was exhausted, but her mind was wide awake. She'd tried for hours to get to sleep, but no sleep came. Her mind was racing with the events from the day and the possibilities of the information that she knew.

Max was the healer. When she'd fallen down the stairs earlier, her mind had been filled with panic and pain as she realized she'd hurt herself. As she watched Max examine her anger, she'd felt a sudden calming as she watched his careful fingers brush her skin. And at that moment she'd known... Max Evans is the healer.

She'd watched him piece the bones of her leg back together and yet she still couldn't believe it was true. What was their secret? How was Max able to do these amazing things? What was it that held them all in such frightening paralysis?

Liz's ears pricked as she detected a small noise. She felt her heart quicken and her eyes instantly drew toward the door to the apartment. She heard the handle jiggling and a key clicking in the lock. Her heart raced and she considered calling out to Michael, but a part of her knew it was too late for that. The door handle turned slowly and the door opened, casting a slit of light into the dark living room, causing Liz's eyes to burn and the person's form stepping through the door to become blurry.

"Liz? It's me," she heard the voice whisper quietly. She blinked twice, letting her eyes readjust to the dark light. She felt her heart slow as she recognized Max's tall form walking toward her.

"God Max," Liz said, laughing as she sat up and placed her hand over hear heart. "You almost gave me a heart attack."

She heard him chuckle as he walked toward her, sitting cautiously on the end of the bed. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"You can sit up here, Max. I'm not going to bite. I promise." She smiled and in the dim light she could see his eyes shine in embarrassment as he pushed himself upward on the bed. He kicked off his shoes and pulled his legs up, leaning against the back of the sofa.

An awkward silence fell between the two. Liz could hear the soft hum of the air conditioner kick in and she turned her head toward Max. She saw him staring out the window beside him, his eyes glazed over in thought. Quickly his head turned toward her as he sensed his eyes on her.

"Uh, so... what's up?" He asked, trying to fill the silence.

Liz let out a low laugh. "So you came over here at two in the morning to ask me what's up?" She asked, punching his arm playfully. "Come on Max, tell me what's really on your mind."

The moon shined softly through the window, illuminating Max's light smile as he turned his head to look at her. "I just wanted to make sure you're okay." He said quietly. "You know, with everything. I know it's probably a bit confusing and overwhelming."

Liz chuckled, "yeah, overwhelming is one way to put it." She looked at his concerned eyes and nodded. "Don't worry Max, I'll be fine. I just have one question for you, though."

"Liz, I know you want answers. I'm just afraid I can't give them to you. Not yet. I want to trust you; we _all_ want to trust you. We just can't yet."

Liz nodded. "I understand that, Max. I won't ask you anything about your powers or your secrets. I just need to know... who is Tess? I need so badly to know."

Max paused, his eyes searching hers through the darkness. "Tess..." his voice trailed off. "Tess was our friend. We trusted her. Tess was our friend and she betrayed us. I'm sorry, I wish I could tell you more but I can't. All I can tell you is that Tess hurt us in the worst way possible."

Liz let out a slow breath, leaning her head against the back of the couch. "Somehow I think I knew that." She said, tilting her head toward his and letting a tiny smile form on her face. She lifted her head so that she was eye level with him. "Thank you for telling me. I know you have your secrets, and I respect that. I won't ask you any more questions until you want to answer them."

A silence fell between the two as they sat side by side on the bed. The dim light from the moon illuminated their faces and the only noise came from the low hum of the air conditioner and the crickets chirping rhythmically in the trees. Max lifted his hand, brushing his fingers over Liz's cheek, his fingers running over her skin slowly. He leaned his head toward her, and her heart jumped as she realized he wanted to kiss her. He stopped, his face so close to hers that she could feel his warm breath on her cheek and their noses just barely brushed against one another. They stared into each others eyes for a moment, both knowing what the other wanted, but also understanding that now wasn't yet their time.

Max pulled away slowly and smiled. "Have a nice night, Liz. I hope you get to sleep sometime soon." He pushed himself off the bed, putting his shoes back on.

Liz followed him to the door and smiled as he stepped through. "Good night, Max." She said quietly, closing the door behind him. In the darkness she stood, alone in the kitchen of Michael's apartment. She stared downward, lifting her hand to run her hand over her cheek. She could still feel the warm path where Max's fingers had passed.

She looked out into the darkness, feeling the quiet that being alone brought. Tess. Tess Harding. Tess Harding had blonde hair. Liz could feel another piece to the puzzle of her memory being placed, and she felt her stomach turning in fear at the things that might lie there once she finally recalled why Tess Harding meant so much to her. Tess, the girl that had betrayed them all so awfully.


	8. Something He'd Lost Long Ago

A/N- Again, it's been far too long. I'm so sorry for that, although I realize apologies are worthless. I will let you know that I am writing now. All it took was a little music for inspiration and a little pushing from ZKS (Thank you :)), and I'm back. I've never written a story quite like this before- one that's so slow and with seemingly no plot. It was meant to be written so that when the reader reads it, it's almost as if you're in a fog- in steam. I was struggling to figure out how I was going to finish it and was worried it would have to end with no climax at all... nothing exciting. But alas, I have finally decided how to make this story great. This chapter starts out slow, but then gets a little better, and the chapters to come will be more exciting, I promise. So I hope my readers are still out there and willing to read and review, telling me whether or not I actually wrote something worth reading.

A small disclaimer- I don't know New Mexico geography at all, so I'm kind of picking towns out of the atlas at random. So I'm sorry for any errors.

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Chapter Eight

_The branches were thick. Suffocating. As she raced over the jagged floor, she could feel the denseness of them pushing down on her. The trees stared down at her as she ran, attempting to slow her flight with the sharp branches that reached out, catching her in their grasp, pulling her backwards as she fled. _

_She could feel the presence behind her, pushing her forward. With every step she took, the presence took two. She could feel it coming closer, pursuing her with hateful eyes. She pressed forward, the forest whispering messages of regret as she ran. Her breaths came heavy as she turned her head. For a brief second she caught the eyes of the person behind her. As she turned away, all Liz could see was the image of bright blonde hair contrasted against the dark, dark branches of the forest._

_As she fell to the ground, she saw the sign with its letters halfway buried in mud from twenty years past. As she fell, she felt the letters engrain in her head. Dexter."_

Liz's body jerked, her heart pounding as she pulled herself up into sitting position. She breathed heavily, feeling the cold sweat trickling down her back as the crickets hummed their rhythmic tune outside. As she looked out the window, she could see the sun stretching its arms as it began to slowly push over the horizon.

Slowly she pushed away the covers and let her feet fall on the floor. She crept toward Michael's room, opening the door slowly. She found him sprawled across his bed, his limbs tossed in a haphazard manner as a soft snore escaped his lips.

"Michael," she murmured quietly. She received no response so she crept closer, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Michael?" She spoke louder.

Michael bolted upward in defense, causing Liz to then jump backward. His stance was guarded; guarded in a way that only a person who'd been hiding his whole life could be. He caught her eyes and she watched as his body relaxed, his guard falling down. "Liz," he said slowly. "Liz, what's wrong?"

"Michael," she said again, pausing for a moment to gather her thoughts. "Michael, we need to go to Dexter."

Later That Day

The miles stretched in front of them as the car sped down the deserted desert highway. Their headlights cut a path through the dark night as they drove silently down the road. As impatient as they all were, they'd let the day play out before they began their journey to Dexter. It was dark before they were able to escape Roswell. There had been too many days off, too much disruption in daily lives. They'd been living lives of routine in fear of whatever it was that kept their eyes so guarded, and breaking routine caused questions to be asked. As Isabel had said, "If I miss one more day of work, my boss is going to know something is up."

Max, Michael, Maria, and Liz drove together in the first car with Isabel and Alex trailing behind them in the second. Liz could feel Max's eyes on her and when she glanced up, she saw his concerned gaze fixed on her in the rear view mirror. At the catching of their eyes, he pulled his away quickly.

"So what exactly _is_ our plan?" Maria asked, her voice breaking the silence that had fallen over the group in the car.

There was a pause before any answer came. Finally Max answered, "It will be too late by the time we get into town to do anything. We'll get rooms in a motel and in the morning we'll try to find... something. Whatever it is that feels familiar to Liz."

Twenty minutes later they drove into town. The buildings were dark except for one motel on the far edge of town whose neon lights read "vacancy." They purchased two rooms for the night and shuffled slowly toward the doors of the designated rooms.

"Maria, Isabel, and Liz will share one room. We'll take the second," Max said, nodding toward Michael and Alex. As they filed into their respective rooms, Liz looked toward Max. His eyes stared into hers as she walked into the room, closing the door behind them.

"Well, this is... lovely." Maria said, looking around the run-down hotel room.

Isabel nodded in agreement. "Yeah, this isn't the best room. Although, I think we have stayed in worse over the years," she said and Maria nodded with a chuckle of understanding. "I guess we'll just have to deal for the night. You two can take the bed and I'll take the sofa."

They moved around the room, preparing for bed. Suddenly Maria turned toward the others. "Liz, are you okay?"

Liz stopped the comb halfway through her hair and looked toward Maria. She forced the smile on her face. "Of course, Maria, I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

Maria shrugged, "I don't know, you just seemed so quiet on the way here. Plus, you've just been through so much. I just wanted to make sure."

Liz quickly nodded. "Don't worry, Maria. I'm fine."

Isabel jumped into the conversation. "I know we've been hard on you, Liz. We don't really let others into our group easily. We have... trust issues. You seem like a very nice girl, though, and so I'm sorry. I'm sorry I was so rude to you at the beginning."

Isabel's words rang in Liz's ears long after the lights had been turned out and the other girls had fallen into a deep slumber. She lay restless, staring at the stained ceiling above the bed. The neon sign outside the motel shined a bright red-orange light into the room and even with the curtains drawn, the figures around the room stood out clearly.

Liz felt the shift in the light before she saw the silhouette standing in front of the window. It was a man. Instead of feeling fear, Liz felt calm. She knew who stood outside their room. She got up slowly from the bed, attempting to not make a noise and not shake the bed so as to not wake Maria. She silently unlocked the door and slipped out into the night.

She walked toward his form, her head still bent low as to not look up into the inquiring gaze that she could feel resting on her form. He placed his fore finger under her chin, tilting her head up toward him.

"Are you alright?" He asked, looking down at her with worried eyes.

She let out a slow, shaky breath. "Not really, Max."

The concern was evident in his eyes as he looked at her small form. "Liz, tell me what's wrong. Tell me why we're in Dexter. Tell me what happened."

"I had a dream, Max," she said slowly. "I remembered something. In my dream I was running- I was being chased. I saw the sign for Dexter. I've had the dream before, it was different. I remember more. In my dream, Max, I think Tess was chasing me."

Max's head fell, his hair obscuring the view of his tired face. He let out a breath before speaking. "I knew there had to be some connection between us through Tess. From the things that you'd said, I knew there had to be something." He lifted his head to look at her. "God, how much I hate that. How much I hate that she can soil our bond as she's soiled so much in the past."

"We don't know anything yet, Max. I might be wrong," Liz said, taking a step closer toward him. She could see the pain in his eyes and it made her ache inside. "I'm sorry she hurt you so."

Max shook his head, "it isn't your fault. It isn't anyone's fault except hers." He lifted his eyes and looked at her standing in front of him. For a moment, there was silence. The neon sign above them hummed lowly as it cast its glow over them. Max looked at Liz standing across from him and he felt a sensation stirring inside of him; the same sensation he'd had when he first threw open his window and saw her laying on the ground in front of it. He could feel himself being drawn to her. The feeling of needing to hide her away and keep him all to himself still loomed deep within his heart. They had spoken so few words, but every moment he'd spent with her had fulfilled some small piece of himself that was empty. Empty places that he hadn't even realized were empty until she came.

"I want you to see it Liz," Max said, the words flying out of his mouth before he could stop them.

"See what, Max?" Liz asked him, tilting her head in confusion.

"Everything," he whispered. "I want you to see everything." Slowly he lifted his hand out, holding it in front of her.

As she looked down at it, she realized that he meant he wanted to open up to her. He wanted her to see everything inside of him. She lifted her hand up and placed it softly inside his, his fingers wrapping around hers. "Show me Max."

Max took a step closer toward her and reached his hand up, sliding his hand over her warm cheek. He removed his other hand from hers and placed it on her other cheek, cupping her face in them. He leaned his head down, resting his forehead against hers. Slowly, he opened up and let go. Without a word, the images began to flow from deep within him, into her.

_The pod broke open, Max reaching out tentatively into the new world. He stepped out, looking around at his surroundings with young, naïve eyes. His gaze fell on the pods- three broken, one remaining in tact. The girl's face was distorted by the pod, but he could make out her features, her light blonde hair. He felt the urge to stay near the pod, curl up and wait for the girl to break free. He longed to be near Tess. He heard a noise and turned toward the other side of the cave and saw Isabel reaching out her hand toward him. He looked back at the girl reluctantly, but then took Isabel's hand and left the dark cave into the bright light of the outside world._

_The headlights illuminated the highway, shining on their naked forms. Michael quickly darted out of the light, disappearing into the darkness of the desert. Max slunk back, feeling frightened by the light. Isabel gripped his hand tighter though, looking back at him with reassurance. Once the car stopped and the pair emerged from it, Max could feel the warmth and safety from Diane and Phillip Evans. They would not hurt him._

_Max looked down at the injured bird. He glanced up at Isabel and she nodded. Max placed his hand over the bird's wing and slowly he could feel himself manipulating its structure. He could feel the pain of the bird beginning to ease. Slowly he removed his hands and the bird flew away. That was the moment Max realized he could heal._

_Strange symbols and writing on the sand. The language seemed incomprehensible, but Max somehow understood what it meant. He couldn't remember learning the language, but he knew that it was his._

_Five stars in the dark desert night sky, forming the shape of a V. _

_Michael's black eye. Max felt pain everyday that Michael showed up at school with a new wound. He knew that Michael's foster father was beating him, but he felt powerless to stop it. Michael wouldn't speak a word of it with him._

_There was a new girl at school. The first time Max saw Tess, she walked through the cafeteria doors, staring around at the crowds. He felt something stir inside of himself as he looked at her- something that he'd never felt before. As he looked into her eyes, he could feel the connection of something he'd thought he'd lost long ago._

_They first kissed on a bench under the night sky. She'd stayed late to study with Isabel and as she'd gotten ready to leave, Max had offered to walk her home so she wouldn't have to go alone. On their walk, they'd decided to stop and rest on a bench in the park in order to buy a few more minutes and look up at the stars. It was then that he'd awkwardly and tenderly reached over and smoothed her hair away from her face, and then leaned in, pressing his lips against hers her lips in a sweet, soft kiss. When they kissed, their connection formed immediately. When they kissed, Max felt like he'd gone home._

_The four of them stood together in the desert, their hands connected forming a strong, united square. They were one again._

"_You're always searching for something else," she said angrily, the tears trickling down her cheeks as she struggled to get him to look her in the eye. "What are you looking for, Max? Why can't you ever just see me?" As Max looked at Tess's sad eyes, he fought it, but he knew she was right. He couldn't just let himself break free. He knew he was constantly waiting for something else._

_Prom night. They sat outside the gym on a bench together. They could hear the music pouring out from the other room and the happiness of their classmates. Tess's body was turned toward Max, her eyes begging him to look at her. "Why can't things be the way they used to be, Max?" She asked. He looked at her, but had no words to answer her question. "Someday you're going to wake up and I won't be here Max. Someday, if you don't start seeing me, someday I'm just going to leave."_

_They realized she was gone early one morning not long after graduation. They'd gone to the house where she'd been staying, and her things were gone. She'd left a note. Max knew she'd deceived them. The FBI had been on their trail for months, and she was ready to help them; make a deal. The three of them had to flee._

_The first time they were able to return to Roswell. Isabel cried as she looked onto the town. It had been a year and a half since they'd fled. They'd been running for so long, that to stay still seemed strange. But they were back- they were home again._

_She appeared after the rain. Max opened his blinds and saw Liz's frail body laying in the grass outside of his room, and he'd felt something stir inside of him. As he jumped out of the window and scooped her up, he felt the feeling inside of him as if he never wanted to let her go ever again. He knew he had to protect her- he knew that she was important. In her, he felt a connection of something he thought he'd lost long ago._

The images faded away and Liz felt Max's body so close, his forehead still pressed against hers. She could feel his soft breaths against her face as he focused on holding the connection and quickly she tilted her head upward, catching his lips with hers. Surprised, Max opened his eyes, looking down at the girl before quickly responding, sliding his lips over hers, drinking in the feeling of being truly connected once again.

Abruptly Liz pulled away and Max's eyes flew open. He watched as she stumbled backward, her hands pressing against her forehead, her eyes squeezed shut as if she were pained.

"Liz! Liz, what's wrong?" He asked, quickly closing the gap between them and wrapping his arms around her, holding her upward as she collapsed into him. Her eyes blinked open, her hands falling from her head. She let out a sigh as she looked up at him and a simple sentence escaped her lips.

"My name is Elizabeth Parker."


	9. Premonitions

A/N- This chapter is kind of a turning point for the story. It's coming to the point where, although it gets confusing, questions are slowly being answered, even though you may not realize they're being answered at the time. Thank you all SO much for your tremendous support- I couldn't do it without your reviews. This story is quickly becoming my most popular story of all time. I hope you all continue to read and enjoy, and hopefully review to tell me if I'm doing this the way you'd hoped. Thank you so much.

Again, as a side note, I don't know much about New Mexico geography. So please excuse any errors in distance between towns, size of towns, etc.

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Chapter Nine

The sun broke over the horizon, its rays stretching slowly across the desert, wrapping the world in the light of the new day. Max and Liz leaned against the outside wall of the motel in silence, watching the new day arrive. They'd been there for hours, speaking no words but sitting in a silence that is content only in two who understand one another; understand the complexity that comes from the secrets that hide so deep within someone's soul.

Max turned his head, looking at the girl sitting next to him. She had her eyes closed softly, not in sleep but in relaxation. He looked at her long hair, cascading down over her shoulders and curling under her chin. Max thought back to hours before as he'd held her as she cried, her name spilling repeatedly from her lips before they'd both fallen to the ground in exhaustion, leaning against the wall for support.

Slowly, Max watched as Liz's eyes opened and turned toward him. She smiled lightly, the sunlight falling across her face. "Good morning," she whispered.

He smiled back at her. "Good morning, Liz. Liz Parker."

Liz turned her head forward again, watching the sun slowly lift in the east. "Max?" She looked at him questioningly and he nodded, encouraging her to ask he questions he knew were tumbling through her mind. "So you... I mean, what...?" Her sentence trailed off, not knowing what she was trying to ask. He understood that she still didn't quite comprehend his past or what he and the others were.

"We crashed here in 1947; well, our ship did at least. We were in pods, though. When we came out of the pods, we looked like we were seven."

Liz's brow furrowed in confusion. "So you're...?"

Max nodded slowly. "Yes, Liz, I'm an alien. Isabel, Michael, and I are aliens."

"What the hell!?" The voice broke out loudly, startling Max and Liz. They quickly scrambled up, turning toward the source of the voice. Max sighed as he saw Michael standing next to them, anger in his eyes.

"What the hell, Maxwell? What do you think you're doing?" He asked, his voice sharp with anger. The second door opened and Isabel and Maria came quickly rushing out, their faces a mix of confusion and apprehension. Maria looked at Michael's angry face and instantly rushed to his side, placing her arm around him in an attempt to cool the fire in his eyes.

"What's going on?" Isabel asked, glancing from one person to the next attempting to register what the disruption was.

"You want to know what's going on? Max is just walking around blabbing all of our secrets, that's what's going on!" Michael screamed, his face growing hot with agitation.

At once, five voices started talking in unison, their voices rising and tumbling over one another as they attempted to get their questions answered.

"Stop!" Max screamed. Liz looked at him as his voice rang above the crowd, a look of command burning in his eyes that she had never seen before. At once, the voices ceased, each person turning their attention toward him, the confusion still swirling in their expressions. "Will everyone just please listen?"

"We just want answers, Max." Michael said, his voice calmer, more reserved.

Max paused, his gaze shifting from one person to the next until it fell on Liz. He lingered there for a moment before turning back to the group. "Yes, Liz knows. Liz knows everything. Liz knows I'm the healer; Liz knows what Tess did to us; Liz knows, and I'm sorry, but it had to be that way. You all know that I would never purposely put any of you into danger. You have to trust me here. Please, trust the decision that I made. Liz knows everything. She now even knows that here name is Elizabeth Parker."

There was a silence before the voices began again. The others looked from Max to Liz, then back to Max again, the questions still evident in their eyes and poised at the tips of their tongues. Liz was amazed at the order he could bring about, the quiet he could cause with a single word. It became evident to her that they saw him as their leader.

"Your name is Elizabeth Parker," Isabel said, her voice straining to be calm, but fear still lining the edges of her words.

Liz nodded slowly, "I remembered last night."

"Well then," Isabel said, her eyes moving from Liz to Max, "let's go find out who Liz is."

**An Hour or so Later**

They'd navigated the streets of the small town until they found the library in its core. The building was old, sagging at the corners, dark, and musty from years of overused books and cramped spaces. It was seemingly empty from the outside, but when the group entered the building, they found many people milling about. There were children scattered in and out of the shelves full of children's books, leaning up against walls and reading. There were bodies filling chairs by the window, the people occupying them distracted with their noses shoved in books. The group headed toward the computers, immediately locating one and perching themselves around it.

"Well, where should we start?" Maria asked, placing her fingers on the keyboard. She turned her head, scanning the faced around her.

"Go to the newspaper database and search 'Elizabeth Parker.' I guess that's as good of a place to start as any," Alex said, shrugging his shoulders.

Maria turned toward the computer, following his commands. She typed Liz's name into the search box and they waited as the computer whirred, pulling a list of search results. They scanned the list quickly.

"There, that one," Michael said pointing to the third entry on the list. "It's about Liz's disappearance. Let's read it."

Quickly Maria clicked on the story, pulling it up to read.

_**Artesia Press**_

_March 4_

_A local girl, Elizabeth Parker, was found missing yesterday evening. Police reports show that the girl was last seen on the evening of March 2 in a shopping mall two blocks from her home. Police have no released a list of suspects, but a source close to the family shared with us that the police have been questioning the family of Parker. Elizabeth Parker lives just outside of Artesia and is a graduate of East Artesia High School. She lives with her mother, Nancy Parker. Police will not confirm that Nancy Parker is a person of interest in this case._

The group was silent as they all scanned the newspaper article. When they finished, Maria spoke up, confused. "March fourth? But that doesn't make sense... you didn't show up until mid April." She said, her voice heavy with confusion.

Liz's eyes stayed fixed on the screen, her gaze running over the words, and then beginning again, over and over again. She couldn't make sense of what they were saying. Everything still seemed so confusing. Her name was Elizabeth Parker. She was from Artesia, New Mexico. Her mother's name was Nancy Parker.

A cold chill began to run through Liz. She felt it trickling down her spine, circulating throughout her veins as the hair on the back of her neck began to stand on end. She quickly looked behind and around them. The group spoke around her, each trying to make sense of the story, but her mind was elsewhere. She searched the faces around her, studying one and then quickly moving on to the next. She could feel it. It was a feeling so vaguely familiar to her. Something she knew she's felt many times before, but couldn't quite recollect. She could feel the evil in the room.

She turned to Max, sliding her hand timidly into his. He turned toward her and she leaned up. "We need to leave," she whispered into his ear. He looked down at her. He could see the fear in her eyes, and so he quickly brought order to the group and told them it was time to leave. He silenced the words of protest, ushering them out of the library as quickly as he could.

As they walked out of the library, Liz looked around. She caught sight of the man sitting at computer a couple desks away from theirs, and she felt her heart skip a beat. She could feel it inside of her again. Instinctively, she knew the darkness that man felt in his heart.

They walked to the parking lot and piled into the cars. "Drive a couple miles out of town and we'll pull off onto some road," Max said to the others. "I know you're confused, but I don't want to hear your questions until we stop, do you understand?"

They drove quickly out of town, their tires flying over the hot highway roads. They pulled off onto a deserted road and drove for a few minutes, before pulling off into an area surrounded by neglected brush. Max turned to Liz in the backseat, and instinctively she took off her seatbelt and slid out of the jeep.

"I need to talk to Liz alone," he said, turning to the others. "Please let us. We'll come back and explain to you why we left once I understand the situation."

The pair walked for a few minutes until the two cars disappeared behind them and they were alone in the heat of the morning. Liz sighed, leaning her weight against Max and feeling the salty tears slide from her eyes. He quickly pulled her closer, running his hand through her hair, attempting to soothe her tears into submission.

"Liz, what's wrong?" He asked her a few moments later after her tears had calmed.

Liz took a breath, tilting her head upward toward him. "We were in the library, Max, and I felt this feeling. It was so familiar yet so mysterious. I could feel something was off. I could feel... evil. I could feel a dark presence near us. I know, it sounds crazy..." her words trailed off.

He smiled down at her, "do you really think I'd accuse you of sounding crazy?"

A small smile played on her lips. "I just knew we had to leave. As we were walking out, I saw a man a few computers away from ours and I knew that the darkness was emanating from him. He had ill intent, Max, and I could feel it. He did not mean us well."

Max was silent for a moment, drinking in her words. "Are you sure?" He asked.

She nodded, "more sure than I've been about anything."

He sighed, letting her lean into him. He could feel the tremors of fear running through her body, causing his heart to ache in protectiveness. He longed to make her feel better. He placed his finger under her chin, tilting her face upward and letting his lips fall to hers. He could feel his mind unwinding as they kissed, the connection springing instantly to life without effort. And then, Max felt it. He felt the connection as it began to flow both ways, and before he could say anything, one image flowed freely from inside of Liz.

_Liz threw her backpack lazily onto the kitchen table of the small apartment. Her mother looked up from her paper and smiled at the girl as she came into the room._

_"I'm so sick of school," Liz sighed, as she fell into the chair. "Everyone is so shallow. They'd be easy to read even if I wasn't me," she said, a small laugh escaping her lips._

_"Oh Lizzy, don't be so hard on everyone," her mother said, folding her newspaper in half and placing it on the table. "You really should start trying to get to know people."_

_"It's totally useless, mom. I mean, look at Susan Watters. She's the most popular girl in our class but she's totally fake. I mean, her boobs definitely aren't real. I walked by her today, and I knew for sure. God, if only everyone knew that she's been secretly sleeping around with some low-life from the south side of town. And she thinks she loves him, yeah right. He writes her this totally heinous poetry about how beautiful her eyes are or something and she calls _that_ love? I just wish I could tell everyone how fake she truly is."_

_Nancy's brow curved into a frown as she looked at her daughter. "How do you know all of that?" She asked. From her expression, Liz could tell she already knew._

_"How do you think?" She asked, matter-of-factly._

_Nancy's face fell, anger creeping into her features. "Liz, you have to stop doing that. You know they're going to put you away one day if you don't stop thinking you can do that. It's a lie. I wish you'd just give it up. Stop thinking you understand people."_

_Liz's face clouded over as she looked at her mother, her eyes squinting together. She was silent for a moment after her mother stopped speaking before she said, "Don't pretend it isn't real mother. You of all people know what I am."_

The image slowly faded away and Max looked down at Liz who was staring up at him, her face bent in confusion. "Max, what's wrong?" She asked quickly, her eyes searching his face.

He considered his words for a moment, before looking down at her. "Liz, we need to go to Artesia. We need to find your mother."

**Later that Day**

They drove for over an hour before reaching Artesia. They pulled into a small gas station to fuel up, and Liz walked into the shop and immediately located the phone book. She took a deep breath before opening it up to the P section and scanning the names. She found her mother quickly, and scribbled the address on the palm of her hand.

The two cars traveled to the east part of town, zigzagging through the small neighborhood streets before finally locating the group of apartments where Liz's mother lived. They all got out of the car, looking up at the apartment building. Liz looked up at the apartment building, shielding her eyes from the bright sun above before looking toward the others. "Well, let's go," she said, beginning to walk toward the door.

They walked up to the third floor, wandering down the hall and pausing outside the door. Max looked toward Liz before knocking. His eyes searched hers, silently asking her if she was ready. She pushed through the others toward the door and nodded at him, raising her own hand and knocking on the door.

There was a light rustling in the apartment before they heard the locks click and the door swung open. A short, red haired woman stood in front of them.

"How can I help-" Her words broke off as she scanned the group, her eyes landing instantly on Liz. She sucked in her breath, stumbling backward. "No," she said quietly. "NO!" She screamed louder.

"Mrs. Parker, we were just hoping-" Max began, but she quickly rushed toward them, cutting him off.

"No, you can't be here! No! You're gone, you're gone! They said, they said you'd d- I mean, you're..." the color drained from her face. Her last sentence came out barely a whisper, "They said you were dead."


	10. Something Different in Those Eyes

A/N- There is no excuse for how long it has taken me to put up this chapter. My only hope is that my readers are still out there, waiting and willing to read and review to let me know what they think. I hope you all forgive me for how long it as been and enjoy this chapter. I have the rest of this story all planned out, it is just a matter of getting it written. The answers are in sight. Thank you and please review, it helps me figure out if I'm doing this right. The response on the last chapter was amazing- thank you so much to all of you!

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Chapter Ten

"You're dead!" The woman screamed again, her body falling against the sofa behind her. "You're dead, you're dead, you're dead..." her voice trailed off as she closed her eyes, turning her head away from her daughter.

Max turned reluctantly toward Liz. "I think maybe you should go down to the car," he said, his voice filled with apologies.

Protests bubbled to Liz's lips but he gently placed his finger over her lips. "I think it would be best if we talked to your mother. I think it might be easier on her if you weren't here."

Slowly she nodded, her head falling as she turned away and began walking down the hall.

"I'm going with her," Maria said, quickly hurrying down the hall after Liz. Alex said something similar and he too followed the pair down the hall.

Max turned back toward the apartment and saw Liz's mother staring at them. "Ms. Parker, is it okay if we come inside and talk?" He asked and she paused before nodding.

The group filed into the room, quickly filling up the small space. Liz's mother sat down on the couch, leaning her head in her hands. Isabel and Michael quickly found places on the chairs around the room and Max followed. He looked around the room as he walked, a cluster of pictures on the mantle catching his eye. A framed school photograph of Liz stood in the center of the mantle. He looked at her thin, smiling face as it shined out from within the photo. As he looked at her, he saw something different in her eyes. Something he'd never seen before. As he looked at her, he saw confidence in her frame. In her smile, a confident, almost haughty, look shone from her dark eyes.

"That was Liz's junior year photo," Liz's mother said from behind him, startling him out of his thoughts. He turned toward her, smiling timidly as he too took a seat in one of the chairs. "She always was a bright girl," her mom said, her voice trailing off as she realized the error of her sentence. Her daughter was alive.

"My name is Max, and this is Isabel and Michael. Ms. Parker, we just would like to ask you a few questions." Max began, leaning toward a bit and resting his elbows on his knees. "We're a little confused about everything that has happened. Liz just sort of showed up a week or so ago. She didn't know who she was or where she was from, but she's been getting small pieces of information as the week goes on. Eventually we were able to figure out her name and then were able to track you down. But, there are still so many unanswered questions. We were just hoping you could tell us about what you know. We'd like to know anything you can tell us."

Nancy Parker looked at the three sitting in the living room around her, taking a slow, even breath. There was a moment of silence that seemed to stretch around them as they waited for her to speak. Finally, she began. "Liz was always so bright. Her father left when she was very young, and so it was always just the two of us. She was so, so bright." Nancy let out a laugh and shook her head. "God, some days, I swear, I was certain she knew more about everything than I did. But the problem was, she thought so too. There was just always something about Liz. Something so... different. Something always seemed off. We'd be in a store and she'd know things about people standing in line next to us without having to ask. She'd come home from school spouting stories about her classmates that no one knew. I swear, she could look at you and you just knew. You knew she was seeing something inside of you that you didn't want anyone else to see. It almost felt... wrong. It was hard for people to deal with, and eventually she started to use it against others. She almost used it as revenge.

"Shortly after her graduation, two men came to our door while she was at work. They seemed pleasant, but they were so mysterious. They told me that they were from a clinic that was interested in people like Liz. I asked them, 'what do you mean by that?' And they said to me, 'people who can see things that no one else can see.' I told them I wasn't interested. I told them they'd have to find someone else because I wasn't going to allow them to take my daughter. They left shortly after, and I didn't see them ever again. But then Liz disappeared less than week later. The police kept telling me that she'd run away, but I just didn't believe them. Liz would never run away. Two weeks later I got a phone call from the police... or at least they said it was the police. They told me that Liz had died in a car accident. There was a funeral and everything. I was told that the cost was being taken care of, but no one ever told me who was taking care of it. But, there was a funeral... we buried a coffin. I never got to see her body, because they insisted it should be a closed-casket funeral due to structural damages to her face during the accident."

Nancy paused, covering her mouth with her hand as a tear trickled slowly down her face. "My daughter was dead, Max. I went to her funeral, and I grieved. I cleaned out her room and said my goodbyes. My daughter was dead," she paused," and now she's sitting outside in the parking lot..." a sob escaped her lips. "I just don't know what's going on."

Max placed his hand on her arm, "I'm so sorry to spring this all on you, Ms. Parker. I wish there was some other way, but we just have so many questions. None of us know who Liz or how she got to Roswell. I wish we had some answers for you, but we don't." He paused, "would you like us to go get Liz?"

Nancy's face paled as she considered his words. Quickly she shook her head, "no, I just... I can't. Not yet. Don't you see? My daughter was dead..." she repeated, her voice trailing off as she covered her eyes and sobbed.

**Meanwhile, down in the parking lot...**

Liz, Maria, and Alex sat outside in the Jeep waiting for Max, Michael, and Isabel. Liz and Maria sat facing one another in the backseat as Alex fiddled with the radio in the passenger seat.

Maria placed her hand on Liz's arm, "are you okay?" She asked, quietly.

Liz nodded. "I'm okay. I'm just so confused. I don't even know who my mother is, you know? All I know is that Nancy Parker is my mother, but I have no recollection of my childhood at all." She let out a slow sigh, "It's just so frustrating."

Maria nodded and let out a sympathetic sigh. "I wish I could help you. I've been connected to this whole alien deal for so long that it almost makes _me_ feel inhuman, but I wish I could help you Liz. I wish there was some way that I could make you remember."

Liz sat in silence for a moment, her mind turning over the events of the past few days. She sighed, shaking her head. "I just need to get all of this out of my head. I need a distraction." She turned toward Maria, "How did you two find out about all of this anyway?" She asked, getting Alex's attention in the front seat as well.

Maria let out a low laugh. "Oh man, I haven't thought about the day I found out for a long time. It was my junior year of high school and I worked at this café downtown called the Crashdown. I was working my ordinary 3-9 shift after school, pushing out disgustingly greasy burgers and getting hit on by middle-aged men, when all of a sudden there was this fight. Two huge, stupid men with a gun were fighting toward the front of the store. There was a gun shot, and all of a sudden I was on the floor, and then there was Max. Max was above me with his hand on my stomach, dissolving the bullet inside of me and telling me something about ketchup.

"The next day, I confronted him. There was all this suspicion mulling around in the air, and I had to know the truth. So, he told me. What he didn't tell me at the time, but I figured out later through my womanly powers of persuasion, is that Michael had asked him to save me. He'd always had a crush on me, and when I got shot he and Max were there eating at the café. He asked Max to save my life. Romantic, huh? Well, you know, I mean as romantic as Michael Guerin can possibly get." She finished with a laugh and turned toward Liz. "Quite a story, eh?"

Liz nodded, "That definitely is an interesting story. It's not everyday that one gets brought back to life by an alien. So Alex, what about you? Did Isabel tell you?"

Alex chuckled, "Oh no, no, no, it was quite awhile before Miss Isabel Evans would admit that she was totally in love with me. No, Maria told me. After the incident in the diner, she was pretty loopy for awhile, as Maria tends to get sometimes. She needed someone to talk to and I am her best friend, so she turned to me, much to Michael's dismay. No one was very pleased for awhile, but I think I can safely say I've won them all over now. I mean, how couldn't they love me?" He asked, his face forming an innocent smile.

The passenger door opened and the group turned to see Michael standing there. "Get in the other car," he demanded, pointing Alex toward the car parked beside the jeep where Isabel was waiting.

Alex sighed, turning back toward Liz, "See what I mean?"

Liz let out a laugh as the others climbed into the jeep. When she looked toward the front and saw Max's face though, her stomach twisted and she instantly remembered why they were here.

"Tell me," she demanded, staring directly at Max.

Max stared straight ahead, "I think that the best thing for us to do right now is go back to Dexter and figure things out from there."

"Max," Liz's voice held a protest but Max quickly cut her off.

"Liz, please," he said, his eyes turning toward her. She instantly saw the helpless look in his eyes, his expression quieting her protests. "Please, let's just go back to Dexter and I promise, we'll get this figured out."

They drove to Dexter in silence. No one said a word as they sped down the interstate, miles stretching in between them and Liz's home. They reached Dexter and they pulled the cars into the motel parking lot. They quickly decided they would get rooms again for the night and try to use the next couple days to figure out where Liz came from, although no one knew quite where to start.

They all filed out of the cars and began to walk back to the motel. Max fell in step beside Liz and took her hand, pulling her back from the others. They stood off to the side of the parking lot and he stared down at her. She looked to the side, the disappointment evident in her eyes.

"Liz, please look at me. I'm so sorry." He placed his finger under her chin, lifting her face so that her eyes faced him.

"I just-" her voice cracked as the tears brimmed her eyes, "I'm just so sad Max. I don't even know what to feel anymore."

"Oh Liz," Max said, quickly moving his hands upward, cupping her face in his hands.

The flash came upon her before she could even take a breath...

_It was ten o'clock and Liz was relieved. She left the diner, kicking off her shoes as she walked over the worn down pavement of the parking lot toward her car. It had been such a long day and her feet ached from standing on them for hours. She neared her car and began searching through her purse for her keys._

_Suddenly a man was behind her, smothering her face and silencing the screams that ripped through her body. He dragged her to a van where there were others. They quickly stuck a needle inside of her and the scene blurred as she fell into a deep unconsciousness._

_The compound was large, made entirely of grey brick. That was the first thing that Liz comprehended when her eyes opened. She realized she was tied down on a stretcher. These men had ill-intent. She could feel the evil ripping through her mind as she stared up at them. They took her to a glass cell, men surrounding her as they untied her limbs and threw her into the cell. _

_She curled up on the floor, tucking her knees under her chin and refusing to open her eyes for hours. She could hear noises going on around her, but she was too afraid to see the guards that blocked her doors and whether there were others in the cells beside her._

_She finally relaxed hours later, her arms falling limp at her side and her legs stretching out. She turned her head and slowly opened her eyes, looking at the scene in front of her._

_When her eyes finally cleared, she saw a pair of eyes staring back at her from the other side of the glass, so empty and emotionless that it made Liz hurt inside. The kind of emptiness that came only from months of having others steal your soul from inside of you. That was the first thing Liz thought of when she saw Tess Harding._

The visions cleared Liz's eyes and she sighed, looking up at Max. He looked down at her, knowing that she had seen something.

"What is it, Liz? What did you see?"

She lifted her hands, placing them on Max's and she looked up at him. "The compound where they held me is here, Max. I can show you where it is. I remember."


	11. A Call to Action

A/N- Again, I am so, so sorry for my long absence. There really is no excuse that I can give you, and I apologize for that. I'm not sure I really like this chapter. It's a whole lot of dialogue and not a lot of action, but it's a necessary chapter in order to get to the end. In fact, we are actually very close to the end- one or two chapters. So, I hope you enjoy. Sorry if it seems kind of choppy- I tried to fix that, but it's kind of how the chapter has to be. Your questions will definitely be answered very soon. The end is near. Thank you SO much to my readers and reviewers- you make this story worth writing and you have quickly made it my most popular story! Read, review, and enjoy!

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Chapter Eleven

"That's it," Liz said, closing her eyes and turning away. "That's the building where they held me."

The group stood together in the dense woods, staring across the long field at the large, brick building in the distance. No one said anything, but the silence was filled with unspoken words and questions.

Max turned toward Liz, "You're sure, Liz?"

She nodded, closing her eyes and turned away. "I'm sure. That's it... I was held there. That's where I met Tess."

"Tess!?" The voice rang out angrily and Michael quickly stepped forward. "No one ever said anything about Tess before. Max, how long have you known about this? What the hell does _Tess_ have to do with this? What has she done now?"

Max let out a breath, turning toward the group. "I didn't tell you because I knew you would be upset."

"You're damn right we're upset, Max. You know what she did to us; how could you not tell us that she was connected to this? How long have you known?" Michael fired his questions at Max, the anger growing in his eyes with every word.

"Liz had a flash a couple days ago that made her begin to suspect that Tess was involved. She had another one, and it was confirmed. She thinks that Tess was chasing her when she left the compound, but _she isn't sure_." He said, stressing his last few words as angry words bubbled to Michael's lips.

"We don't have secrets, Max." Isabel said, her voice coming out hushed and frightened. "Tess hurt us all by leaving and selling us out. It wasn't your secret to keep."

Max let out a breath, his shoulders falling limp. "I'm sorry Isabel. I know that what she did hurt us all, but I didn't want to get everyone upset in case the visions turned out to not be true. I mean, we don't know if they are true. Liz only thinks that Tess was chasing her. I just didn't want to frighten everyone. I mean, with what we've been through... I just didn't want us all to hurt again when it might not even be true."

A silence fell after his words as the group considered Max's words.

"They're true," Liz's voice broke through the silence and everyone quickly turned toward her.

"What?" Max asked, taking a step closer to her.

"They're true, Max. Tess was behind me. Tess was in that place with me."

"How do you know?" Max asked.

"I know, Max. Tess was there. Believe me. She was in the cell next to me."

Michael let out an angry breath. "They put her there so that you would start to trust her. God, I hate them. I hate them!" He screamed, his face reddening in hot, vivid anger. Maria took a step closer to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. He turned toward her, the muscles in his jaw relaxing.

"I'm sorry," his voice came out choked. "I'm just still so angry."

"I think we just need to think this through. We can't do anything rash; we cannot put ourselves in danger. We need a plan." Isabel said firmly. "So, what do we do next, Max?" She asked, voicing the question that everyone wanted answered.

Max sighed, turning toward Liz. "We wait," he said. "We wait, and when Liz is ready, she'll have the answers." He slowly lifted his hands, placing them on the sides of her face. His eyes stayed fixed on her, his gaze holding a promise that none of the others could her.

Slowly she nodded, lifting her hands up and placing them over his, and closing her eyes. The connection was instantaneous.

"_Miss Parker, cooperate," the man said, his form standing tall and firm above her. "Cooperation is your best option right now, believe me."_

_Liz sighed, keeping her eyes cast downward. "Why should I do anything for you? I don't even know who you are."_

"_Don't lie to us. We know that you know us. You can sense us. Tell us what you see in us, Miss Parker. Tell us and there won't have to be any consequences."_

_Slowly Liz lifted her head to look up at the man. She saw the confidence in his gaze as he looked down at her; he knew that she was his. She could feel everything inside of him as he looked at her. He was confident of his power over her, but somewhere in the back of his mind, in a place that he didn't acknowledge, he was scared. He was scared of what she could do to him. "I'm not telling you anything," she said, turning away._

_He let out a sigh. "Bring her in," he said to the guard standing by the door. He turned back to her. "Liz, I'd like you to meet your new friend."_

_She walked in with her head down, her limp blonde hair falling in front of her eyes as the men led her into the room. She sat down next to Liz, slowly lifting her eyes to stare at Liz. _

"_We'll give you two some time to get acquainted," the man said with a smile, turning and walking out the door._

_Liz watched him go and then turned toward the girl, her eyes full of questions. "Who are you?" She asked quickly._

_Tess put her hands over her lips, "Just so you know, they're on the other side of that wall watching us," she pointed to the wall beside them. "I'm Tess."_

"_I'm Liz," Liz said quietly, her eyes shifting toward the wall where Tess had indicated._

"_I know who you are. They told me a few days ago that you would be arriving. Welcome to hell." She quickly stood up and walked toward the wall. "You hear me? Hell! I know you're watching, so why don't you just come out and get whatever it is you want done over with so that I can go back to sleep!?"_

_The door opened and quickly the man entered the room again, his eyes fixed on Tess's angry face. _

"_Tess, Tess, Tess... how many times do we have to go over this?" He asked, shaking his head at her._

"_Go over what? I'm not playing your game anymore. I'm not going to manipulate this girl." She turned toward Liz. "She doesn't deserve to be manipulated."_

_The man turned back toward Liz. "Miss Parker, tell Tess what you can do. Tell Tess what you can see in me. Tell her what you see and you can both go back to your cells._

_Liz looked quickly toward Tess, their eyes catching each other. Liz raised her eyebrow in a question and Tess nodded lightly._

"_I see evil," Liz said, her eyes never leaving Tess's eyes. "I see the control that you feel you have over me. You think I can give you the answers that you've been searching for your whole life. You think I can answer questions about 1947, because I'm the missing link." She turned her head back toward the man. "But you're wrong."_

_His face stayed even, not stirring as her stare cut through him. "Let them go. Guards!" He screamed, and two men entered._

_Liz got up from her seat, and fell in step beside Tess as the two guards led them back to their cells. _

_Tess leaned ever so slightly toward Liz, her face falling right beside Liz's ear. "We need a plan, Liz. We can get out of here together, I know we can. If you follow this hallway, it eventually leads to a door. That door leads to the outside. There are always two guards outside our cell, and two guards outside that door. I know you can sense when people are near, and I can manipulate what people see. I will mind warp the guards, and we will get out of our cells and out of the door. I will need you, though. I'll need you to use your powers to tell me when there are others around."_

_Liz looked toward Tess, shaking her head. "But I don't have powers."_

_Tess nodded. "You do, you just don't know that's what they are."_

_They walked separately into their cells, their eyes staring at each other through the thick glass as the doors slammed behind them. Liz could feel something inside of Tess. A feeling she had never felt before. Tess was confident, Tess was scared, but more than anything, for the first time Liz could feel something inside of Tess that she'd been longing to feel for her whole life in another. Tess was like her. They were the same._

The connection broke and Liz stared up into Max's eyes. Instantly she knew he had seen the flash as well.

He sighed, his head falling down as he took a step backward. He looked toward Michael. "You were right," he said. "They put Tess in there with Liz to try to manipulate her and get her to share her secrets with her. They wanted to see what powers Liz has.

Michael looked from Max to Liz. "And what powers are these, exactly? Why would they be holding Liz inside of that place? It's not like she' an alien."

Liz shook her head. "They held me because I'm different. Because I can feel things about other people. I have no idea why they wanted me there, but they felt like I had some connection to Tess. At least that's what they told me."

"They were manipulating you, Liz." Max said quietly. "I hate to tell you this, but they were using Tess to get information out of you."

"But how do you know that, Max? I mean, now that I'm starting to remember, how can we be so sure? When I looked at Tess, I could feel something inside of her that told me that we were alike. How do you know she was in there to hurt me?"

"Max knows because that's exactly what Tess does." Michael broke in. "It's what Tess did to him; it's what she did to us all. We all have specialized powers, and that's what she could do. She could make people see things that weren't there. And in some cases," his eyes shifted toward Max and then back to Liz, "she could even make you feel things that you couldn't control."

A long silence wrapped around the group. No one spoke as they looked from one another, their eyes connecting as they remembered events from the past and the ways in which Tess had cut them so deeply.

"They know I'm alive," Liz's voice wavered slightly as she spoke. "They know I'm alive, Max. They told my mother I was dead, but they know I'm alive. They aren't going to stop looking for me until they find me."

"That's why we're not going to let them find you," Max's voice was low, solemn. He turned toward the group. "That's why we have to fight. We have to go in and make sure no one ever comes after Liz again." He turned back toward Liz, his hand sliding along her cheek. "We have to fight so that you can stay with us, right where you belong."


	12. Free

A/N- Over the past months, multiple people have left comments, added the story as a favorite, and/or added it to their alerts. You all waited patiently for me to find my voice again, and I feel it is not right for me to make you wait any longer. I present to you the final chapter of Steam. I hadn't quite planned on ending it yet, but it seemed like it was the time. I hope you are all still out there to read this, and I hope you enjoy. Please leave a comment to let me know how the ending was for you (After multiple edits, I'm still not quite sure I like it). Thank you for reading and putting up with my lack of updates for so long. Your reviews have made this story worth while and very enjoyable to write. Thank you again, and enjoy. :)

* * *

Chapter Twelve

"We have to go in," Max said decidedly, turning his gaze toward the compound. "We have to go in and fight." His voice was steady, solid. He spoke with an air of confidence, but Liz could feel the fear inside of Max. As they grew closer over the days, it was becoming easier for her to sense Max's feelings. As she looked at him, she could feel the unease that settled in his stomach as he looked at the compound across the field.

Michael took a step forward, standing next to Max. "You know I'm right behind you, Max."

"Are you serious?" Isabel's voice broke and the two boys turned toward her. "You can't honestly be serious. We can't do this, Max. We can't go back in there! Don't you remember what they did to you?"

Max closed his eyes momentarily, letting Isabel's words sink in. "We have to, Isabel," he said finally. "There's no other way to ensure Liz's safety. She is one of us. I can feel it. She was meant to find us. Tess may have turned against us, but Liz will not. I know you are scared, but we have to make sure they never come after her. I cannot watch them destroy us again."

Tears ran slowly down Isabel's face as she took another step toward her brother. "I can't lose you again, Max. I just can't. Is there another way? Can't we look for another flash? Can't we wait for Liz to remember?" She turned quickly toward Liz. "Do you think you can remember?"

Liz stood quietly for a moment. "It's coming back to me in pieces. I'm not sure I can force it." She admitted sadly. "I don't have a whole lot of control over the situation. If Max and I were to connect, I may be able to remember more, but I can't promise you anything."

"Try," Isabel said quietly, the tears still thick in her voice. "Please, Liz? Please try. Try to remember so that we don't have to lose each other anymore. I believe Max; I believe that you are a part of us. That is why we need to stay together. Please try, Liz. I can't watch us suffer anymore."

Max took Liz's hand and she turned toward him. He had a question in his gaze, asking her if it was alright. She nodded slowly and he turned toward the group. "We will try. When Liz and I connect, that is usually when she gets the flashes." He shifted his gaze from Liz to the group, then back to Liz.

"Are you ready?" Max asked quietly, his hand rising slowly and cupping her check.

She turned toward him. "I'm ready, Max. I'm ready to remember everything."

Slowly he placed his other hand on the side of her face, running his fingers lightly over her skin. She raised herself up on her toes, letting her lips connect with his, feeling their surroundings disappear as they lost themselves in their connection and as her mind quickly unfolded in front of them. Her memories came quickly, one right after another, the scenes of her past flooding back and revealing themselves to them as they stood embraced in the woods.

"_You have to stop doing that, Liz" Nancy's voice said shakily as she looked at her daughter. "You know they're going to put you away one day if you don't stop thinking you can do that. It's a lie."_

_As Liz looked at the fear in her mother's eyes, she knew that somehow her mother was right. She could often feel the presence of someone who had ill will toward her, and she knew that there were people in this world who would hurt her if they got the chance. She was so confident in herself, though. So sure that no one could get to her. _

_She turned toward her mother and gave her a steady, even gaze. "Don't pretend it isn't real mother. You of all people know what I am."_

* * *

_They took her after work, shoving her into a van and driving her away. Liz screamed and cried as they pinned her down, taking her far away from all that she knew. Punishing her for all the things she knew she could do but that her mother had feared so deeply. They slammed tape over her mouth and slid the cold syringe into her veins, silencing her screams as they drove down the dark road toward the compound._

* * *

_Liz screamed in pain, but the tests prevailed. She screamed at them to stop, swearing that she did not know the answers to the questions that they asked, begging for a release from their pain._

_"You know how to make it stop, Liz," the man said calmly, watching them make the deep incisions in Liz's arms-- one after another-- the pain ripping through her as they came closer to the veins in her wrists that they knew would end everything._

_"I don't know anything! Please," Liz gasped, her voice begging him to stop. "I don't know what you're looking for. You think I know about 1947 and the crash, but I don't! I'm just a girl."_

_The man gave a thin smile, the corners of his face turning up in satisfaction. "You will never be 'just a girl,' Miss Parker."_

* * *

_"We have to get out," Tess whispered to Liz as they sat side by side eating. "I have a plan, but I have to touch your arm and you're going to feel a strange sensation. It's called connecting. If I connect, you'll see my plan."_

_Liz looked at the other girl skeptically. A part of her was still unsure, but she could feel the fear inside of Tess that echoed her own. Tess was vulnerable, just as she was. Slowly Liz moved her arm closer and let Tess place her hand over it. The images quickly zipped through her brain, Tess's plan laying itself out piece by piece._

_Liz turned toward the other girl, the shock and fear evident in her eyes. "Who are you?" She asked._

_Tess smiled, "You should know, Liz. We're the same."_

* * *

_The alarm screamed as Tess shattered the lock on the door, kicking it open with her foot and screaming at Liz to run. Liz ran, her feet flying across the field toward the woods on the horizon. She felt Tess behind her, her breaths coming quickly as she urged Liz along, and the feeling gave her comfort. They reached the edge of the woods, and Liz felt a twinge inside of her. Slowly she felt an eerie sensation of fear settle around them and she knew that they were near. The men from the compound were after them, and they were closing in. _

"_Run!" Tess's voice screamed from behind her, and Liz surged forward, pushing through the branches._

_The log caught her ankle before she could move to avoid it, and she yelled out in pain as she fell to the ground. The forest breathed around her, the wind tussling the leaves as Liz lay staring up at the forest around her._

_Suddenly Tess was above her. "You need to run, Liz! Run!" She said, holding out her hand and pulling the girl up._

"_Wait!" Tess said, pressing her hand into Liz's. Liz felt the connection open between the two and Tess quickly placed her hand on Liz's forehead. Liz felt the heat from her fingers, but before she could ask what Tess was doing she had removed her hand._

"_Run!" She screamed, pushing Liz forward. Liz ran, pushing her way through the thick forest branches and running as fast as she could from the evil that encompassed the wood around her. Suddenly, she stopped. The forest was silent and she realized that Tess was gone. She was alone._

_Suddenly, she heard Tess's voice coming from the other side of a bank of trees. Liz carefully moved the branches and saw Tess face to face with one of the men from the compound. Liz's heart beat faster as she watched them. Tess stood bravely in front of him, but Liz could feel the fear vibrating from her body._

"_Where is the other one?" The man asked, his gun aimed steadily at Tess._

"_Where do you think she is?" Tess asked nonchalantly. "She's dead. I killed her, just like you told me to do."_

_Liz felt her heart speed up in her chest as she listened. She held her breath._

_Tess pointed to the ground off to the side. "There. I did what you wanted, now can we please just go back?"_

_The man crouched down, inspecting the bare ground where Tess had pointed. Liz looked on, confused. _

"_I want you to bury her." He said. He snapped his fingers and another man emerged from the woods carrying a shovel. Liz watched as he handed it to Tess. With trembling hands, Tess took the shovel and began to dig. _

_Liz couldn't understand. Somehow the men believed she was dead. The realization dawned on her suddenly that Tess was making them see these things. Tess was making them believe that she was dead so that she could escape._

_Liz watched as the men stood observing Tess digging, lifting, and burying her friend. _

_Tess glared up at them. "Can we go now?" She asked. "I did what you wanted me to do, and now I just want to get some sleep."_

_The men reached out and grabbed her by her wrists, pulling her along through the woods. They disappeared through a wall of branches and Liz collapsed backwards against the trunk of a tree. She let out her breath, her heart beginning to slow._

_After a few moments, Liz heard the noises. Screams rang out from across the field, shots rang out. Liz felt a darkness fall over her heart. Tess was dead. She had sacrificed herself so that Liz could live._

_Liz turned, her mind racing and tumbling over itself. _Run,_ Her mind screamed. _Run far, far away. Find Max Evans._ She ran blindly through the woods, her mind collapsing around itself as her heart opened and she let herself feel the pain, the sorrow, and the regret. She let herself cry for the pain they'd put her through and for the life that had sacrificed itself for her own. She staggered through the woods, pushing through the branches as hot tears poured down her cheeks, pushing her way toward the unknown that Tess knew she would find_

* * *

_Liz reached the house, the rain pouring down on her as she collapsed gasping on the neatly manicured lawn. She looked upon the house, and knew that she had arrived. She had arrived right where she'd always belonged. She ran to the side window, pounding quickly on it before collapsing in a fit of exhaustion on the ground below. When she awoke, Max's dark eyes stared down at her. She felt a sensation stirring deep inside of her as she looked up at him. She felt the safety and warmth of his embrace, and she knew that he was a part of her. In him, Liz felt a connection of something she thought she'd lost long ago._

The images cleared and Liz felt Max's lips against hers, his body shaking with the effort of sustaining the connection and with the pain that came from within Liz's subconscious. She opened her eyes and looked straight into Max's.

"She died for me, Max." Liz said softly. "She died so that I could live."

Max took a step backward, his hands remaining clasped around her face. He turned toward the group, his face chalky white.

"What did you see, Max?" Michael asked, his voice urgent. Liz watched as Maria laced her hand through his, attempting to calm his anxiety.

"She- she," Max's voice broke. "Tess is dead. She didn't betray us."

"What?" Isabel asked, taking a step forward. "What do you mean she didn't betray us?"

Suddenly Liz pulled herself away from Max, her fingers reaching up and resting on her temples.

"Wait," she said slowly. "There's another, Max." She looked throughout the group. "Tess left a message for you all."

Liz closed her eyes, staggering backward as she released the memory from her mind; the memory that Tess had placed there for them to find.

A bright light flashed in front of Liz, and slowly an image began to form. Isabel gasped as she looked upon the blond girl's frame. She had left a message for them in Liz's mind.

Slowly, Tess's form began to speak.

_"To Isabel, Michael, Maria, Alex, and to you, Max. I know that this message will reach you, because I know that the five of you are where Liz belongs. It took me a long time to realize that I wasn't a part of you. I'll admit, I was always jealous of the bonds that you all had formed before my arrival, and that jealousy made it impossible for me to feel at home. You tried so hard, but I never felt that it was enough. I was always waiting for the four of us to feel as one, just as Nasedo always said that we would. But the feeling never came, and I couldn't understand why._

"_When I used to look at you, Max, I could feel that you knew it as well. I didn't feel at home here in Roswell, so, I fled. Nasedo was gone and I was alone, so I fled to the compound. I was ready to give myself up to them and give them all the information I had on you, just so that I could finally feel needed again. I know, it sounds petty, but I needed that feeling again. So I went to the compound, but I did not find what I needed. The men in the compound were dark, evil. They wanted the information I had, but they had no use for me otherwise. Inside, I knew that they would kill me once they had the information they needed. Suddenly, I knew that I was on the wrong side. _

_"I refused to give them the information that they asked for. I endured pain because of this refusal, but I knew that it was all I could do. I could not let them get to you. I could not let them lock you up in that compound._

"_I caught wind that Liz was arriving. They told me that they'd found a girl. That she was 'special.' Not an alien, they said. Or at least they didn't think so. But she could feel things in others. She had the power to feel everything that you could feel, and she had the ability to read your thoughts if she tried hard enough. _

_When she arrived and I met her, I knew instantly that she was a part of us. I knew that she belonged with us. I knew that she was who you were waiting for, Max, all those years we were together. I could see it in her eyes, feel it in her heart. They thought she could give them answers, but she was not one of us. She is special, she has powers all her own, but she is not one of us. They asked her questions she did not know the answers to, and so they wanted to dispose of her._

_They told me that I was to pretend to be on her side and convince her to run away with me. They told me that once we got into the woods around the compound, I was to kill her. We ran, but I did not kill Liz. The men were around us, so I told Liz to hide. First, I planted this image in her mind, but also I opened her mind. I opened her human mind to all of the powers that we possess. You will no longer be weakened by my absence._

_I told them that she was dead, and made them see her body on the ground. And then I died. I died so that you could be free. I died so that you could have Liz, Max. I died so that she could finally end up where she belonged. I died to make up for everything I almost took away from you. I trust that you will embrace Liz and that she will become one of you, just as I always wished I would. I love you all more than you can imagine, and I want you to know that. Live your lives, and become one again. I hope that with what I did, I have set you free. And I hope that you will never feel lost again, Max. I love you, and goodbye._

The image of Tess slowly faded, her soft silhouette floating away like a fine steam, being carried away by the dry desert wind. The six friends stood, staring at one another as she left. The silence fell over them as they all simultaneously realized and understood what Tess had said.

Suddenly, everyone began speaking at once.

"Tess didn't betray us!?"

"She sent Liz to us!"

"She tried to make up for it by covering it up?"

"We were wrong all along."

"We blamed Tess for everything, but she tried to save us."

The voices clattered over one another. The air lifted around them as they felt the sweet release of fear from their hearts.

They shouted, hugged, cried, laughed. Over the noise, Max caught Liz's eyes over the jubilant cries of their friends. A small smile played on his lips as he slowly walked toward her, closing the gap between them. They stood on the outskirts of the group, their silent gaze hidden by the joy of their friends' laughter.

Liz stood, staring up at Max. She lifted her hand, running it lightly over his cheek.

"I'm sorry about Tess," she whispered, understanding the sorrow in his heart.

Max nodded. "Tess sacrificed herself. I will always miss her. She sacrificed herself so that I could live, and so that I could find you. Somehow she knew that you were meant for me. She could feel exactly what I felt when I opened my window and saw you lying on the grass outside. She could feel that you were a part of me." Max paused, reaching up to brush a strand of hair from in front of her eyes. "I never want to lose that part of me, Liz. You will forever be inside of me."

Liz felt the tears collect underneath her eyelids. Around her, the people who had taken her in and learned to trust her laughed and talked, and she knew that she had finally found where she belonged. She had lived for so many years unable to understand why she could never find her place. Her place was here, among her five new friends. A part of something larger than she could imagine. In Max Evans' arms.

She pushed herself up on her tip toes, allowing her lips to connect with his. "I love you," she said as she pulled away. "I think I've always loved you." As they stared at each other in the dying light of the desert evening, Liz and Max felt calm. In each other, they felt the connection of something they thought they had lost long ago.

And at that moment, Liz Parker was whole.


End file.
